Odisha BJP chief's nephew Harish Chandra Panda joins BJD

Panda was welcomed in the party in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Talking to ANI, Panda said: In 2014 elections, I supported BJP as the nephew of Basant Panda. Later, I realized the youths were not getting due consideration in the BJP, which lacks team spirit.

BJD talks less and does more work. The party is working at the grassroots level for the welfare of the people, Panda said.

Expressing his happiness, Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik said, I welcome him in the BJD wholeheartedly. We are happy to have him in the party.

As elections advance, several BJD leaders have also joined the BJP.

Balabhadra Majhi, BJD MP from Nabarangpur, on Saturday, joined the BJP. Only recently he had announced to quit the BJD.

Majhi joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan and recently appointed national vice president Baijayanta Panda.

On Thursday, former Odisha Minister Damodar Rout, who was expelled from the BJD last year, also joined the BJP.